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This is more of a general question and not specifically referring to a post collapse of civilization scenario, although it could be relevant there as well.
In order for complex items with moving parts to operate correctly, the metal/metal points of contact must be properly lubricated. For me, this mainly applies to vehicles (cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles) but also to power tools such as chainsaws, lathes, and milling machines as well as firearms.
On motorcycle and firearm forums that I belong to, there is fierce debate over lube, from "what is the best" to "what is cheapest" to "what works in a pinch". The consensus is generally that the most appropriate lubricant will vary from application to application, but that wrong lube is always better than no lube.
I would like to simplify things to the point where one or two types of oils can be used for all of my applications. Maybe a lighter oil for guns, and motors and a heavier oil or grease for bike and chainsaw chains, power tool gears, etc. My brother says to buy a drum of 10W30 for everything. I like the simplicity of this solution, but I am concerned that the one size fits all approach could create more headaches than simply keeping a reserve of each task-specific material.
Has anyone else thought about this? Does anyone use motor oil such as rotella on their chainsaws or bike chains?
You bring up a good question. We do most all the maintenance and repairs on our trucks (have a hauling firm presently) and keep supplies of all specified fluids on hand. My guns get Hoppe's amd Rem oil. I have run vegetable oil as lubricant in my chain saw when I ran low, and it worked fine. No bikes since the kids grew up, but I recall using regular auto grease on chains and such.
I have tons of 3-in-one oil, silicone spray, WD 40, and Liquid Wrench, which can usually handle anything around the place. While I have used a different SAE grade of oil temporarily in a truck engine when we ran out, I find that the cost of oil is currently pretty cheap compared to the damage it can do if it's "too wrong for too long". About the only thing I would have zero misgivings about using "anything" would be on saws and other tools to keep 'em from rusting (I live near the coast and we get a lot of dampness).
But it's an interesting idea. It would be nice to simplify. Of course in a SHTF scenario I would lube my guns with anything at all, to forestall rust. But guns are expensive nowadays, and you want to avoid pitting the insides of the barrel -- although I have given shotguns a good scrubbing at the sink with Fantastic or Ajax dish cleaner; that fouling can be nasty! No harm done.
Good question, and while I am no chemist or mechanical engineer, I do know that lighter viscosity oils such as 10w-30 are too light for gearboxes, and too heavy for use as a 2 stroke mix.
We have used old oil from engine oil changes to do a lot of things such as lubricating chains on swathers, bailers and other equipment including chain saw blades. Not always the best solution, but it does work. Actually works pretty well for a wooden fence post treat too.
Heaver greases can sometimes be substituted by using animal fats. Hog lard works pretty well, but gets very stiff when it is cold. Ancient cultures all the way back to the Hittites used animal fats as lubricants for wagon and chariot wheels.
If you make bio-diesel out of tallow or plant oils, it can be mixed with gas for running 2 stroke engines as it has a high lubricant quality. You would need to experiment for the exact mix.
The old racing cars used to use whale oil in their engines to lubricate it, but that is hard to get and using common fats like lard don't work quite as well, but could do in a pinch. Actually a good quality plant oil such as cannolla would probably do a little better in that application, but would wear out fast and any natural oil won't have the cleaning agents added to modern lubricants, but if that is available, and that is all that is available, you may have no choice.
Older gears and engines don't have the low tolerance requirements of modern stuff, and don't have nylon gears, so have a higher range of lubricants you can get away with.
Not a comprehensive study, but I have done these substitutions, they do work, at least for a while, so I wouldn't plan on a cross country trip with an engine full of cannola oil and a transmission and gear box full of lard
There are about 500,000,000 auto and trucks dead in their tracks in the US right now. And, if the SHTF, there will be about another 200,000,000 or so that will run out of fuel and make nice yard sculptures. They will provide plenty of used lubricants which will work just fine for those of us who have operating diesel or vegetable oil motors.
This is more of a general question and not specifically referring to a post collapse of civilization scenario, although it could be relevant there as well.
In order for complex items with moving parts to operate correctly, the metal/metal points of contact must be properly lubricated. For me, this mainly applies to vehicles (cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles) but also to power tools such as chainsaws, lathes, and milling machines as well as firearms.
On motorcycle and firearm forums that I belong to, there is fierce debate over lube, from "what is the best" to "what is cheapest" to "what works in a pinch". The consensus is generally that the most appropriate lubricant will vary from application to application, but that wrong lube is always better than no lube.
I would like to simplify things to the point where one or two types of oils can be used for all of my applications. Maybe a lighter oil for guns, and motors and a heavier oil or grease for bike and chainsaw chains, power tool gears, etc. My brother says to buy a drum of 10W30 for everything. I like the simplicity of this solution, but I am concerned that the one size fits all approach could create more headaches than simply keeping a reserve of each task-specific material.
Has anyone else thought about this? Does anyone use motor oil such as rotella on their chainsaws or bike chains?
Sad to say there is no one oil to use due to the requirement for different additive packages for different engines and other moving parts.
One can get by with 15w-30 oil but there will be problems in time due to gumming,rust and other additive related problems.
So what would I recommend... 15 gal of 15w-30 engine oil , 10 gal of 30w (non-detergent for general lube jobs) , 10 gal of 90w gear oil.
If i were planning for a post collapse civilization scenario,i dont think i'd be relying on gasoline powered machines or items that need to be constantly re newed or refilled with modern product.SlingShots, bows and arrows,horses would probably be a more longterm reliable resource.
This is more of a general question and not specifically referring to a post collapse of civilization scenario, although it could be relevant there as well.
In order for complex items with moving parts to operate correctly, the metal/metal points of contact must be properly lubricated. For me, this mainly applies to vehicles (cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles) but also to power tools such as chainsaws, lathes, and milling machines as well as firearms.
On motorcycle and firearm forums that I belong to, there is fierce debate over lube, from "what is the best" to "what is cheapest" to "what works in a pinch". The consensus is generally that the most appropriate lubricant will vary from application to application, but that wrong lube is always better than no lube.
I would like to simplify things to the point where one or two types of oils can be used for all of my applications. Maybe a lighter oil for guns, and motors and a heavier oil or grease for bike and chainsaw chains, power tool gears, etc. My brother says to buy a drum of 10W30 for everything. I like the simplicity of this solution, but I am concerned that the one size fits all approach could create more headaches than simply keeping a reserve of each task-specific material.
Has anyone else thought about this? Does anyone use motor oil such as rotella on their chainsaws or bike chains?
Great question as well.
I agree with your brother in part. A drum of 10W30 would be good, but a drum of 5W30 would be better.
Why? Less detergent.
Having said that, 10W30 might actually better due to the fact that you don't know what you will have for solvents.
Being the Chemistry_Guy you should know that petroleum solvents dissolve petroleum. Mixing something with the 10W30 will thin it out for other uses. My first inclination would be naphtha due to the higher boiling point.
Other possibilities that may be available would be any white spirits. I'm talking about mineral solvent, turpentine, paraffin and iso-paraffin. Even gasoline would work. Kerosene, any jet fuel, well, the lower grades, probably anything lower than JP-3.
I'm thinking maybe a 4-1 ratio (oil to solvent). Start with that and work around it.
I agree with your brother in part. A drum of 10W30 would be good, but a drum of 5W30 would be better. you know this how?
Why? Less detergent. What a load of crap!
Having said that, 10W30 might actually better due to the fact that you don't know what you will have for solvents. Huh?
Being the Chemistry_Guy you should know that petroleum solvents dissolve petroleum. Mixing something with the 10W30 will thin it out for other uses. My first inclination would be naphtha due to the higher boiling point. BAD advice!
Other possibilities that may be available would be any white spirits. I'm talking about mineral solvent, turpentine, paraffin and iso-paraffin. Even gasoline would work. Kerosene, any jet fuel, well, the lower grades, probably anything lower than JP-3. Holy cow! Directions on how to ruin your engine?
I'm thinking maybe a 4-1 ratio (oil to solvent). Start with that and work around it. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!
Thank you all for the responses. For clarification, I am actually thinking more about 'off grid' living for a month or two at a time rather than a true SHTF scenario, but there is definitely some overlap.
Being a chemist I understand why different formulations give different physical properties such as viscosity and surface tension, but I have always wondered specifically how and under what circumstances mechanical devices push the limits of the lubricant. For example, the owners manual on my CBR motorcycle suggests using different viscosities of motor oil depending on the season and average temperature. This makes sense, because a thicker oil will be too viscous at colder temperatures and will not circulate when the bike first starts up, so if you fire up the engine and try to take off, you could damage the engine/transmission, as it is all in the same gearbox. However, some of my racing gearhead friends use very specifc formulations, regardless of temperature, but they take care to properly warm up the engine before asking it for anything more than an idle. I would assume (possibly incorrectly) that similar precautions could be taken for other items.
For example, a lighter oil can be used to lubricate chainsaw blades, but since it has a lower surface tension, it will need to be reapplied more frequently. Similarly, a heavier oil can be used to lubricate firearms, but more care needs to be used in working the oil around all of the moving parts, as the higher surface tension will keep it from spreading as easily. To rephrase my initial question, is there any common need for lubricant that could not be satisfied by 10W-30 (or 5W-30) on the low end and something like axle grease on the high end, assuming care is taken to limit the stress on the lubricant?
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